Matthew Perry, known for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit Sitcom “Friends,” died at 54 years old in his Los Angeles home, on Oct. 28. Perry left behind a successful acting career and his achievement in bringing awareness to drug and alcohol addictions.
Perry made his acting debut as River Phoenix in the 1988 movie “Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon.” He continued to land small roles and make guest appearances on sitcoms. His real fame came in Sept. 1994 when “Friends” debuted. “Friends” remains one of the most popular sitcoms of all time.
“There is no show that has ever been so successful and meaningful as ‘Friends.’ It’s so special to so many people, both older people and the people in our generation,” Olivia Kleiser, freshman and fan of the show, said.
Kleiser recalled reminiscing over Perry’s career with her mother prior to his death.
“It was so shocking because me and my mom were just talking about Matthew. Just 30 minutes later, I saw the news,” Kleiser said.
As Perry rose to fame, he battled with alcohol and prescription drug addiction. Perry recalled while filming Friends, he would take 55 Vicodin pills a day and dropped to 128 lbs. Perry recovered from his addiction to the painkiller in both 1997 and 2001.
Throughout his addiction, he spent over $7 million on multiple stays at rehabilitation centers trying to get sober.
To help support others suffering with addiction he transformed his home in Malibu, Cali. into a men’s sober-living facility called Perry House.
After his death, it was discovered Perry was planning to establish a foundation to help those with addiction issues. Those close to Perry still wish to bring his foundation to fruition in his honor.
Perry published a book titled “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” in 2022. The book tells stories of his lovers and the insidious nature of addiction.
In the book Perry shares horrifying experiences he went through during his addiction, one being his near death at age 49 due to his escalating drug addiction. He spent two weeks in a coma fighting for his life. After regaining consciousness he had a five month hospital stay and a year using a colonoscopy bag, after his colon burst from opioid overuse.
“I think he had a huge impact on the recovery of others. His addiction was obviously public and many people knew about his struggles,” Kelsier said. “His book was super important and helped other people struggling with addiction. His book gave hope to so many that felt like they were going through something alone. It gave them something to relate to, and I think it was important for them to see a famous figure struggling like they were.”
